Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!

 

　　Alas! I am very sorry to say

 

　　That ninety lives have been taken away

 

　　On the last Sabbath day of 1879,

 

　　Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

 

　　'Twas about seven o'clock at night,

 

　　And the wind it blew with all its might,

 

　　And the rain came pouring down,

 

　　And the dark clouds seem'd to frown,

 

　　And the Demon of the air seem'd to say-

 

　　"I'll blow down the Bridge of Tay."

 

　　When the train left Edinburgh

 

　　The passengers' hearts were light and felt no sorrow,

 

　　But Boreas blew a terrific gale,

 

　　Which made their hearts for to quail,

 

　　And many of the passengers with fear did say-

 

　　"I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay."

 

　　But when the train came near to Wormit Bay,

 

　　Boreas he did loud and angry bray,

 

　　And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay

 

　　On the last Sabbath day of 1879,

 

　　Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

 

　　So the train sped on with all its might,

 

　　And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight,

 

　　And the passengers' hearts felt light,

 

　　Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year,

 

　　With their friends at home they lov'd most dear,

 

　　And wish them all a happy New Year.

 

　　So the train mov'd slowly along the Bridge of Tay,

 

　　Until it was about midway,

 

　　Then the central girders with a crash gave way,

 

　　And down went the train and passengers into the Tay!

 

　　The Storm Fiend did loudly bray,

 

　　Because ninety lives had been taken away,

 

　　On the last Sabbath day of 1879,

 

　　Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

 

　　As soon as the catastrophe came to be known

 

　　The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown,

 

　　And the cry rang out all o'er the town,

 

　　Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down,

 

　　And a passenger train from Edinburgh,

 

　　Which fill'd all the peoples hearts with sorrow,

 

　　And made them for to turn pale,

 

　　Because none of the passengers were sav'd to tell the tale

 

　　How the disaster happen'd on the last Sabbath day of 1879,

 

　　Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

 

　　It must have been an awful sight,

 

　　To witness in the dusky moonlight,

 

　　While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray,

 

　　Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,

 

　　Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,

 

　　I must now conclude my lay

 

　　By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay,

 

　　That your central girders would not have given way,

 

　　At least many sensible men do say,

 

　　Had they been supported on each side with buttresses,

 

　　At least many sensible men confesses,

 

　　For the stronger we our houses do build,

 

　　The less chance we have of being killed.

 

　　Your turn

 

　　Have you ever experienced any kind of natural disaster? If not, imagine what it would be like. Write a poem about your real or imagined experience. Send it to us.

 

　　Other selected disaster poems

 

　　After the Deluge

 

　　by Maggie Borum

 

　　A walk in the garden

 

　　Right after the storm --

 

　　The air is much clearer

 

　　When the deluge moves on

 

　　Yes the deluge is over

 

　　But the damage remains

 

　　When rage is discharged

 

　　And can't be contained

 

　　Feelings accrue --

 

　　The levee gives way --

 

　　Again and again,

 

　　But what can I say?

 

　　It's one of the worst mistakes

 

　　Man or Nature makes:

 

　　Reason returns, but by

 

　　Then it's too late